The Importance of Lifetime Vaccinations
By Loxie Kistler, Ed. D., CHUC, of
Learning Objectives:
Many
people don’t realize the important role vaccines can play in keeping adults
healthy. As a result, most adults are
not vaccinated as recommended. Each
year, about 50,000 adults die from diseases that can be prevented by
vaccines. Millions more get sick,
leading to missed work, not being able to care for those who depend on them,
and passing the illness on to others.
The
importance of vaccinations increases annually with changing demographics in the
United States such as increased number of immunosuppressed with HIV/AIDS,
increased populations living in shelters, and large numbers of non-vaccinated
immigrants.
Vaccinations
are not a new concept in healthcare. In
1718, Lady Mary Montague reported that the Turks deliberately inoculated
themselves with fluid taken from smallpox pustules. She inoculated her own children. Edward Jenner tested the possibility of using
cowpox as an immunization in humans in 1796.
He recognized that “milk maidens” who milked cows infected with cowpox
did not contract the illness.
The
significant advances in vaccinations are one of the best ways to prevent
disease in our communities. When you become ill your body is invaded by
bacteria and viruses. Your immune system recognized the outside invader and
begins to make proteins called antibodies.
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Antibodies
have two important functions. First, they help fight off infections. But
because these infections have had a head start, you’ll already be sick by the
time your immune system has produced enough antibodies to fight them off and
make you well again.
Then the antibodies start doing their second vital function – providing you
with immunity. They do this by remaining in your bloodstream and guarding you
against future infections. Antibodies have “memory.” That’s why most people contract diseases like
measles or chickenpox once even though they might be exposed many times.
Vaccines are made from the same bacteria and viruses that cause disease.
Measles vaccine, for example, is made from the measles virus. The germs in vaccines are either killed or
weakened so they won’t make you sick. However, the presence of the foreign
invader in the vaccinations triggers the immune system to produce antibodies to
protect you from the disease in the future.
Should you ever be exposed to the real disease, the antibodies present in your
system will protect you.
Most
people are familiar with the routine childhood vaccines that their children get
during their physical checkups – vaccines such as DTP (diphtheria, tetanus and
pertussis), measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), polio, chickenpox and hepatitis
B. Vaccinations for routine child immunizations are usually given at two
months, four months, six months, one year, and 15 months. And boosters are
given at age four or five before a child enters kindergarten.
Most people aren’t necessarily aware of other vaccinations that are recommended
beyond childhood and throughout adulthood. Special attention should be paid to
people 65 and older and those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart
disease, respiratory conditions, and immunosuppression.
The adult population falls victim to many diseases preventable through
vaccination. Examples include:
■
Influenza causes an average of
36,000 deaths and more than 200,000 hospitalizations in the
■
Approximately
4,500 Americans die from invasive pneumococcal
disease annually. Pneumococcal bacteria can invade the lungs,
bloodstream, brain and spinal cord, resulting in a number of different
illnesses, including pneumonia and meningitis.
■
Two
of the human papilloma virus (HPV) strains
covered in the HPV vaccine cause about 70 percent of cervical cancers. At least half of all sexually active adults
will be infected with HPV in their lifetime; 80 percent of all women will be
infected by age 50.
■
About
90 percent of unvaccinated household contacts of an infected person will catch chickenpox.
■
Once
contracted, there is no specific treatment for hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B is a “silent disease” that often
affects people without making them feel sick. If you do get sick from hepatitis
B, the symptoms may feel like the “flu,” yet, hepatitis B kills over 5,000
Americans each year. It is a leading cause of chronic liver cirrhosis and a
known cause of liver cancer.
■
About
15 percent of people with hepatitis A require
hospitalization in the
■
Approximately
20 percent of those with measles experience
one or more complications. These complications are more common among adults
over age 20.
■
About
one million Americans get shingles every
year; at least two in 10 will get shingles in their lifetime. While more common
among the elderly, shingles can occur in healthy younger people and even in
children. The pain associated with shingles may begin two to four days before
the rash appears and can last for weeks, months or even years after the rash
has healed.
■
Mothers
are the source for nearly one-third of whooping
cough (pertussis) cases in infants under the age of 1 year. Infants are
at greatest risk of death from whooping cough.
■
Tetanus is commonly called “lock
jaw” because it causes muscle spasms and locking of the jaw. Approximately16
percent of reported cases of tetanus are fatal.
Some vaccines are required annually; others are
given just once and provide protection for life. Some are administered at
designated times throughout life to restore or “boost” immunity. Those doses are known as “boosters.”
Following are some general guidelines for how often to get each vaccine and how
many doses are required:
■
Pneumococcal disease: vaccine usually given
once at age 65 or older (or in adults younger than 65 who smoke or have
underlying medical conditions).
■
Human papilloma virus: women 26 and younger
should receive a three-dose series over a six-month period to reduce the risk
of cervical cancer.
■
Influenza: vaccine must be given
once yearly, anytime during the influenza season.
■
Tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (whooping cough): all
adults 19 and older should get one booster dose of tetanus/diphtheria (Td) every
10 years. Adults under age 65 who have never gotten
tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap) should substitute it for the next booster
dose of Td, then continue with a dose of Td every 10 years.
■
Hepatitis B: three doses are given
over a six-month period.
■
Shingles: one dose of shingles
vaccine is recommended for persons 60 and older.
■
As
a general rule, inactivated vaccines, such as Tdap, can be administered at any
time before or after other inactivated or live vaccines.
■
Influenza
and pneumococcal vaccines can be given during one medical visit.
■
Hepatitis
B vaccine may be administered simultaneously with other vaccines at different
injection sites.
Talk
to your physician about which vaccines you need and when you should receive
them. Vaccines
are among the safest medical products available. Some common side effects are a
sore arm (associated only with injected vaccines) or low grade fever. The
potential risks associated with the diseases these vaccines prevent are much
greater than the potential risks associated with the vaccines themselves. You
cannot “catch” any of the diseases mentioned above from their respective
vaccines.
Sources:
CDC.gov
www.NFID.org (National Foundation for
Infectious Diseases)
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1.
Which of the following is Not a reason why vaccinations
in the
a.
Increased
number of immunosuppressed citizens
b.
Shelter
type living
c.
Non-vaccinated
immigrants
d.
Children
going to school at younger ages
2.
These
proteins respond to outside invaders in the body
a.
Antibiotics
b.
Platelets
c.
Antibodies
d.
Lipids
3.
Special
vaccination consideration should be paid to
a.
People
65 and over
b.
All
healthcare providers
c.
all people who live in the
d.
All people over 40
4.
This
bacteria can invade the lungs, bloodstream, and the brain
a.
Pneumococcal
b.
Measles
c.
Hepatitis
B
d.
Mumps
5.
This
illness is a leading cause of chronic liver cirrhosis and liver cancer
a.
Hepatitis
A
b.
Hepatitis
B
c.
Hepatitis
D
d.
Hepatitis
F
6.
Which
of the following vaccines is given as a “booster” every 10 years
a.
Human
papilloma vaccine
b.
Shingles
c.
Influenza
d.
Tetanus
and diphtheria
7.
This
vaccine is a 3 dose series given to help reduce the risk of cervical cancer
a.
Human
papilloma virus
b.
Shingles
c.
Influenza
d.
Hepatitis
B
8.
This
illness leads to an average of 36,000 deaths and over 200,000 hospitalizations
a.
Measles
b.
Influenza
c.
Hepatitis
B
d.
Chicken
pox
9.
Vaccines
are made from
a.
Weakened
virus and bacteria
b.
Full strength bacteria
c.
Full
strength virus
d.
fruits
10. Which of the following
is Not True about Antibodies?
a.
Have
memory
b.
Fight
off infection
c.
Provide
immunity
d.
Are
the key ingredient in vaccines